Just the Wind (APH Germanic Brothers Fiction)
by Owlie-Tweets
Summary: Germany is quite calm when he sleeps with Italy. But when his worst fears linger, and Italy isn't around, who can he turn to? SHIPPINGS MENTIONED GerIta PruAus


_*Germany's POV*_

Well, Feliciano is away in Italy for the week, overseeing how things are going around his home country. Which is why tonight, I'm sleeping alone. In the dark. With no one around to protect me.

The worst part is, there's a noise outside the house that sounds like a ghost prowling around, as something scratches around the side of the house. Every little squeak and scratch in the darkness corners me under my covers, making me shiver and cry in fear. I don't know what the howling outside it, but I don't like it. The silence around the house is making me nervous as well, and it makes my whimpers more prominent.

I can't take it anymore. I just need someone. The fear in my head is telling me to go downstairs and find Alfred, or Kiku...someone! But I'm far too scared to get out of bed. I just can't do it. I'm stuck in a realm of horrors.

Just then, the door squeaks opened, making me whimper in fear, and bury myself under the covers.

_"Vhest? Is sat you?"_

I recognize the voice as a safe voice...Gilbert's voice. His boyfriend, Roderich, is at work all night, so he's sleeping alone as well. But he's brave; he'll surely comment on my crying. In response to his question, I let out a "N-nein," my voice as strong as I can make it.

But it must not be that strong, because I hear footsteps towards the bed, and I'm uncovered from my hiding place. The second that happens, my ice blue eyes meet with a pair of cranberry red ones.

"Vhest?," he whispers, stroking both hands over my face, seemingly shocked to see me crying. "Vhat's se matter? Vhy are you crying?"

It's a stupid reason, so I stay quiet. In fact, I avert my eyes to avoid Gilbert's gaze. Gilbert turns my chin back so I'm looking right into his eyes.

Gilbert turns my chin back so I'm looking right into his eyes. "It's okay," he tells me. "You can tell me - I'm your brudder, remember? You can trust me."

The howling suddenly begins again, and the suspicious object scratches the side of the house making me shiver all over again. "Vh...vhat's sat noise?," I sob.

Gilbert smiles softly and retreats to the window. He opens the curtain that I drew to a close before getting into bed. I'm tense and prepared to save Gilbert from something dangerous, when I notice a branch from an oak tree scraping against the window's glass.

"It's just se vhind in se trees," he tells me, closing the curtains again. "See? Nosing to be afraid of."

The albino sits beside me on the bed, and strokes my frizzy, whitish blonde hair. "Besides," he whispers softly, "your big brudder is here for you."

As he sits me up, and holds me in his arms, I have a flashback...when I was eight years old and Gilbert was only ten.

_I ran away from the woods, fast as I could, trying to outrun the footsteps that followed. It was a dark, windy night, and I was walking through the forest. Until I heard footsteps behind me, and I ran home to Vati. Quickly as I could, I ran up the porch steps, and knocked on the door to the stable, still crying and crying._

_I banged on the door with my two little fists. "VATI!," I screamed. "VATI! LET ME IN BEFORE SEY GET ME!" The door opened, and someone came out. But it wasn't Vati. It was Gilbert._

_"Luddy?," he asked softly, lifting me into his arms. "Vhat's vrong? Who's going to get you?"_

_I sniffled, and squirmed in Gilbert's arms. "S-sere's a vhulf after us! Get inside! Quick!," I bawled with hysterics._

_Gilbert looked confused. "Ludvhig, sere's nosing here," he whispered, straightening the collar of my jacket._

_I looked up at him, tears still falling from my ocean blue eyes. "S-sere's not?," I asked, my voice wavering._

_Gilbert shakes his head. "Nein; not at all," he said, turning me to look at the fields near the woods. He was right - there was nothing there. Just the long grass blowing in the wind._

_Gilbert rested my head against his shoulder. "I sink you let your fears get se best of you," he told me. "Let's go back into the vhoods to see if sere's anything sat vhas actually chasing you."_

_I hide my face and cry harder. "N-NEIN!," I screeched. "I don't vhant to! I'm too scared!"_

_Gilbert stroked my hair, and looked into my eyes. "Luddy, it'll be okay," he reassures me. "I'll be right here to protect you. I vhon't let anysing happen to you."_

_I sniffled, and clung even harder to his neck. "O-okay," I squeaked. At that, Gilbert strolled into the woods, patting my back, and looking around the forest. "Hm...I don't see anysing," he mumbles to himself. I kept my face hidden, not wanting to see what's happening._

_Just then, there was the snapping of sticks, and the pattering of something in the leaves. I gasped, and clinged tighter onto Gilbert, keeping my face well-buried into his chest. "Sere it is," I whispered squeakily into his ear, trying to stay quiet. "S-se vhulf...it's going to find us!"_

_Gilbert padded closer to the noise, making me wriggle in his arms. "Don't go near it!," I cried, tears streaming down my little cheeks. "Don't go near it! It vhill hurt us!"_

_Gilbert giggled a little, unburying my face. "Silly little Luddy," he whispered, showing me the area. "Sere's nosing here! It was just se vhind blovhing srough se trees. It just made some of se branches fall down."_

_He strolled over, and picked one up, letting me see it. "See? It's okay. Sere's no vhulf," he reassured me. "And even if sere vhas, I vhould protect you. Because you are my little brudder, and I love you lots."_

_Both of us smiled, and hugged, letting the wind blow through our hair gently, knowing that it's only a soft, calming breeze._

I opened my eyes, and looked into Gilbert's eyes again. Though I can't bring myself to say anything, I can feel the brotherly love between us. Gilbert smiles, and pulls us back into a hug. Knowing I'm safe, the two of us talk for a bit, until I'm half asleep in Gilbert's arms.

"Are you sleepy, Vhest?," he asks softly. I can only manage a nod. He smiles. "Vhell, I'll leave you to rest now."

My older brother tucks me in, and kisses my forehead, just like he did when we were young. "Gute nacht, brudder," he whispers. "Ich liebe dich."

I smile, and hold his hand briefly. "Ich liebe dich auch, brudder," I respond. Gilbert quietly leaves the room, as I roll into a comfortable position, close my eyes, and allow the sound of the wind soothe me.


End file.
